His World Goes Dark AC
by Light-Eco-Sage
Summary: This is the Author's Cut of the one shot "His World Goes Dark". Aang gets out of the battle with Firelord Ozai with his life, but still suffers the loss of something valuable to him. Can Katara help him recover? Is Aang even capable of recovering?
1. His World Goes Dark

**His World Goes Dark (Author's Cut)**

**By: Light-Eco-Sage**

**Rated: M for Kataangst Romance and Lemon!**

**Summary: Aang gets out of the battle with Firelord Ozai with his life, but still suffers the loss of something valuable to him. Can Katara help him recover? Is Aang even **_**capable **_**of recovering? This is the multi-chaptered Author's Cut of my one-shot "His World Goes Dark"**

**Disclaimer: "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and all related characters are owned by ****Michael Dante DiMartino**** and ****Bryan Konietzko****. I just borrow and torture them for my own pleasure.**

**LES: This was written originally as a one-shot for the Kataang Raid on . But, as I worked out the concept, I realized that this was a story that needed at least six or seven chapters to tell. But the Kataang Raid was only asking for one-shots. So I, in the words of an online friend, "killed my baby" by making a ton of cuts until it was a decent-sized one-shot. But, I felt that the cut stuff really added to the story, even though it wasn't strictly necessary, so I decided to make this Author's Cut. This is the fanfiction's original form before the cuts were made.**

**Chapter I: His World Goes Dark

* * *

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It was the final battle, the battle that would determine the fate of the entire world. It all had come down to only two people: the Avatar and the Firelord fighting for the fate of the world.

The battle had begun in Ozai's favor, with Aang only managing to get in a few hits every once in a while. But that was before Ozai had unwittingly helped Aang reactivate the Avatar State. Now Aang was the one with the upper hand.

All four of the elements bent under Aang's command at once, a feat that was difficult even for Avatars to accomplish.

Aang finally managed to bring the Firelord low, entrapping his limbs in Earth. The plain terror on Ozai's face was a gratifying sight for the pure essence of the planet's spirit as it channeled itself through Aang's body, completely out of Aang's control.

"Firelord Ozai," The Avatar Spirit spoke, using Aang's voice and the voices of all the previous Avatars in one commanding and layered voice. "You and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world. And, now, you shall pay the ultimate price!"

The Spirit of the Planet passed its judgment on Ozai, moving his arms in a circle, and mixing all four elements together into a massive blade with the intent of piercing Ozai's heart. The Spiritual Being roared, bringing the blade down, heedless of the look of terror on Ozai's face.

But, suddenly, the Spirit stopped his motion, and froze in midair. The elemental blade lost its deadly form and fell on Ozai, completely harmless. Ozai sputtered through the water that landed on him, and stared up at the Avatar in awe. The glow of his tattoos faded, and he closed his eyes calmly. The sphere of air that protected his body from any attack slowed and came to a stop, depositing the boy on the ground.

As soon as Aang's feet touched the ground, the earthen shackles around Ozai's limbs broke and fell apart. He sat up swiftly.

Aang turned away from Ozai, his eyes closed. Ozai didn't know it, but Aang was still keeping an eye on him with his rudimentary Earthbending vision. "No." Aang said firmly. "I'm not going to end it like this."

Ozai glared at the Avatar, contempt etched into his face. "Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak!" He made a move to rush at the Avatar while his back was turned.

Aang, however, easily picked up on Ozai's movement and, with a few sure and swift movements, he trapped Ozai's limbs in earth and forced him to his knees.

However, the Firelord still had a last trick up his sleeve. Aang was close to him now… too close for him to react to a sudden attack. So the Firelord did the only thing that he could. He channeled his chi through his mouth and breathed fire right into Aang's face.

Aang had not been prepared for that sort of attack, and it hit him just as planned, right on his eyes. Aang screamed in agony, feeling his skin burn and blister as if the attack was happening in slow motion. He closed his eyes, but a moment too late. He was in excruciating pain.

"Take that, you weak-minded fool!" Ozai growled in triumph, but too soon. The next thing he knew, the boy had his hands placed on both his chest and forehead. Ozai stared at the boy in shock. It was clear that he was in a lot of pain, but something told Ozai that the boy's determination to beat him was stronger than the pain he was enduring. "What are you…?" That was the last thing that Ozai remembered before the battle of their spirits, a clash of will on will, began.

Several moments past, and the only thing that Ozai was aware of was a titanic mental struggle against a force so massive and incomprehensible that he could barely understand it, let alone defeat it. Ozai gained the upper hand at first, because the other being was distracted by his own pain, but the Avatar's power could not be completely subdued. Ozai felt the Avatar's massive spiritual energy enter him and change something within, something that could not be given back.

And then, just as quickly as it happened, it was over. The Avatar stumbled away from Ozai, and collapsed on the ground, pressing his hands to his eyes as he quivered in pain. He tried to open his eyes, but could not. He was in too much agony.

Ozai was the first to recover, pulling himself out of his bonds, and attempting to Firebend at the Avatar while he was down. However, the flames that he expected to manifest from his fist did not manifest as he expected. Filled with a sudden weakness, he collapsed back on the ground. "What did you do to me?" Ozai demanded.

For several long minutes, Aang did not answer. Once he recovered enough to Bend for himself, he quickly gathered some water and pressed it to his eyes, and the water began to glow with his own Healer's Touch. He could not heal himself completely, but at least he could ease the pain. Aang sighed with relief as his pain eased, but he found that he was still unable to open his eyes. Instead, Aang gazed at the Firelord with Earthbending. "I took away your Firebending." Aang said. "May this be the last time you ever hurt anyone with Firebending."

Once the shock of being without his Bending had worn off, Ozai glared at the Avatar, taking in the full extent of Aang's wound. Ozai smirked to himself. "It doesn't matter. I have left my mark on you, Avatar. You will never forget me."

* * *

It had been nearly three weeks since Aang's battle with Ozai, and he still wasn't fully recovered.

_But, I suppose, that's not such a surprise._ Katara thought to herself as she made her way through the halls of the Fire Nation's palace to check on Aang once again.

Aang had returned whole, but not uninjured. Firelord Ozai had really managed to do a number on him before Aang had managed to subdue him and take away his Bending. Katara sighed, thinking about the horrifying moment when she had seen Aang the first time after his battle with Ozai, his face horribly burned and scarred.

Katara reached the door to Aang's room and knocked softly.

"Who is it?" Aang's voice called from within.

"It's me." Katara answered.

"Oh. Come in, Katara." Aang said.

Katara accepted his invitation and stepped into the room, making extra care to make a bit more noise than she would normally. She remembered why she developed this habit when her eyes fell on Aang.

The young boy had bandages firmly wrapped around his eyes and forehead, where the fire had gotten him the worst. The bandages also meant that Aang was temporarily deprived of his sight, and could be easily spooked if someone stepped into his room without announcing their arrival.

She kept her eyes on Aang as she walked across the room. He was following her movements well, even though he couldn't see her. Katara smiled. _He was definitely on the road to recovery!_

"Good morning, Aang. How are you feeling?" Katara asked, placing a bowl of water down on the dresser in case Aang needed some more healing.

"It doesn't hurt so much anymore." Aang said reaching up to touch the bandages wrapped around his face. "So, when can I take the bandages off, Katara? I can't wait to be able to see you again."

Katara felt her face heat up with a blush. Of course, Aang couldn't see that. Once his healing process had begun, Katara had confessed to him. On Ember Island, she wasn't confused about her _feelings_ for him, but rather the effect that the war had on those feelings. She confessed to him that she was in love with him. Aang had tried to kiss her then, but had missed her lips and failed miserably.

But Katara didn't mind. It wasn't like it was his fault he missed. So she simply took the initiative and kissed him herself, properly.

Ever since then, they had kissed a great deal. Katara only had to warn him before she kissed him, and direct the kiss herself, but she didn't mind.

"I think we can try taking the bandages off today." Katara said.

At that news, Aang sat up straighter. "Really? That's great!" His fingers flew up to his bandages in an obvious attempt to rip them off.

"Aang, wait, no!" Katara cried, rushing over to him and stopping his hands. "Aang, please, listen to me. It's been three weeks since you've given your eyes a chance to work. I know that it's hard, but we need to do this slowly. If you rip them off, and try to see everything at once, you'll just end up hurting yourself."

Aang sighed. "Okay, Katara. I trust you." He said, smiling brightly at her.

"How about one last kiss for good luck?" Katara asked hopefully.

"I'm ready." Aang replied.

Without further ado, Katara leaned down and pressed her lips into Aang's. He responded to her kiss instantly and eagerly. He pressed his tongue gently to the seam of her lips, begging for entrance to her lovely mouth. Katara quickly accepted and moaned in delight at his tongue brushed against hers, sending jolts of pleasure through her body.

Several moments later, they developed the will to separate their lips, but did so very slowly. It took several more minutes for the kiss to actually come to a stop.

Katara sat on the bed next to him and quickly found the end of his bandage, ready to start unraveling it. "Okay, Aang, I'm going to start taking off the bandages. I want you to let me know as soon as you see light through the bandages."

"Okay." Aang said.

Katara began to slowly unwind the bandages from his head, revealing more and more of his skin in the process. His face was pretty badly scared. Zuko had one eye scared, but both of Aang's eyes had been affected by Firelord Ozai's final act of Bending. His scar, however, wasn't nearly as predominate as Zuko's because Zuko didn't have an experienced Water Tribe healer overlooking his healing process like Aang did. However, the scar was still there, for scars were something that could never be completely healed.

Katara unwound the bandages slowly. Eventually, she got to the point where she thought that Aang should see some glow through the bandages. "Can you see anything yet?" She asked.

"No, not yet." Aang answered.

Katara shrugged. The bandages were a bit thicker than the ones she was used to. Maybe it wasn't a surprise that Aang couldn't see anything yet. She unwound the bandages some more.

A few minutes later, and Katara had grown more concerned. His bandages were nearly all the way off now, and he still hadn't given Katara the signal that he could see anything!

She stopped without only a single layer of bandages covering Aang's face. She was too horrified to consider the implications of what was happening in front of her. "Aang…" She began slowly. "Are you _sure_ that you can't see anything?"

At first, Aang didn't answer. "Yes, Katara. Everything is still pitch black. Katara, what's…?"

"Oh, Aang…" Katara began, barely stifling a sob. "There's only one layer of bandages left."

At first, Aang didn't understand what she meant. But then, the implication of Katara's words crashed down on the boy like a tidal wave of horror. He should have been able to see something by now! Something was wrong!

Ignoring Katara's earlier warning, Aang reached up and ripped the last of the bandage off his face. There was the scar, a now-permanent fixture on his face. But the scar wasn't the problem…

Katara stared in horror at his eyes. His eyes were once filled to the brim with life. Now they were dulled and empty. His eyes were once the color of the clouds caught in a storm. Now they were the overcast morning on a gloomy day. But what was worse than that was the look of horror on his face and he looked around the room, unable to find what he was looking for.

"Katara…" Aang said, horror creeping into his voice. "Everything's still dark! I can't see anything!"

With no other option left, Katara pulled the frightened boy into a fierce hug, burying his useless eyes into her shoulder.

The Firelord's final act of Bending had taken away the Avatar's eyes.

* * *

It only took minutes for Katara to run and get Toph. Toph was the only person who could come close to understanding the horror he was going through. She, herself, was blind, but had managed to find a way to not only live with that, but become one of the greatest Benders in the world.

But, at the same time, Toph couldn't understand. Toph had been born blind. Aang, however, could still remember what it was like to have his eyesight. Toph had never known the feeling of having her world suddenly go dark.

Aang was understandably in tears, and Toph was uncharacteristically doing her best to comfort him.

She had him in a semi-embrace, allowing the boy to lean on her shoulder. "Come on, Twinkletoes." She said softly. "I know that it seems bad right now, but I promise I'm going to work with you until your Earthbending vision is as sensitive as mine. It won't be the same as regular eyesight, but at least you won't be completely blind." Aang, it seemed, was inconsolable at this point, despite Toph's attempts.

Katara waited outside the door, feeling useless tears run down her face. She couldn't possibly imagine what Aang was going through right now. But she could imagine that this was probably one of the hardest things he's ever had to face. Aang was a Nomad at heart, and he lived his life to see new sights. And, now he had lost that at the tender age of 13. He wasn't going to just 'recover' from this.

It was just her luck that Sokka and Zuko stopped by to see how Aang was doing, and they were shocked to see Katara outside the door crying, Aang inside the room sobbing, and _Toph_, of all people, trying to comfort him.

"Katara, what's going on?" Sokka asked. "Did something happen?"

"Is Aang all right?" Zuko asked, concerned for his friend.

"No." Katara sobbed. "Aang's not all right. I took the bandages off him just now and…"

"The scar?" Zuko asked, knowingly. "I know how hard it is to live with a scar like that, but we are his family, and we won't care…"

"It's not the scar." Katara sobbed. "It's his eyes. Ozai damaged Aang's eyes irreversibly. Aang's lost his eyesight."

At first, neither Sokka nor Zuko responded. "No." Sokka said, sounding just as horrified as everyone else. Without warning, he burst into the room. "Aang!"

The young Avatar looked up in shock as Sokka burst into the room. But that was only because Sokka's entrance had scared him. Sokka stared into the young boy's eyes as Aang 'looked' at him. Aang was looking right at him, but his eyes were clouded, and he gave no sign that he could see Sokka at all.

"Sokka? Sokka? Is that you?" Aang asked, imploringly.

"Oh, Spirits…" Sokka said, stomping across the room and pulling the surprised Avatar into a fierce embrace. "Oh, Spirits, Aang. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry this happened to you!" Sokka said.

Without replying, Aang buried his face into Sokka's chest and continued to sob. Without a word, Toph joined the embrace, followed by Katara and then Zuko.

All four members of Aang's family embraced him, telling him it was going to be all right, as they shared this moment of misery together.

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**LES: Obviously, I added the actual fight with Ozai in the Author's Cut. The next chapter will also be a mixture of the old and the new. But then the next few chapters after that will be completely new. Yes, I cut out whole chapters.**


	2. The Road to Recovery

**Chapter II: The Road To Recovery

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The weeks passed, and Aang finally seemed able to go outside. His lack of will to go outside had nothing to do with his mobility. Once he put his feet on the ground, he was able to use Earthbending to see the general placement of objects. His Earthbending vision wasn't nearly as acute as Toph's, but it was still workable. His unwillingness to go inside was due to something that was bothering Aang that he wouldn't tell anyone, not even Katara.

After weeks of this, Katara was pleased to suddenly find him outside. And, not only was he outside, but he was Bending! She stopped to watch his graceful movements.

He started with Earth, and did perfectly fine with that. Next, he moved on to Water and everything still seemed to be going fine. Then he tried Fire, which seemed to be a little bit harder. Lastly, he started a technique from his birth element of Air. He flipped, sending a blast of air arching forward. However, he wasn't able to complete the move because he landed wrong and fell hard on the ground.

"Aang!" Katara screamed, rushing over to him, and helping him up off the ground.

But, to her shock, Aang shoved her hand away and stayed on the ground, weeping bitterly. He completely refused her help.

"Aang, please tell me what's wrong!" Katara begged, kneeling down next to him. "Please, I want to help you!"

"You _can't_ help me, Katara! No one can help me!" Aang said bitterly. "Just leave me alone!"

"No, Aang, I can't do that." Katara said firmly. "I love you, Aang. _I love you_!" She repeated. "It hurts me to see you hurting like this. I want to help you so badly, but I can't until you tell me what is wrong."

"Do you want to know what's wrong with me?" Aang demanded. "I don't think you do."

"Of course, I do." Katara said.

Aang buried his face into the grass, gritting his teeth. "I should just die, Katara."

"How… how could you say something like that?" Katara demanded.

"I'm useless." Aang said bitterly. "For just a few moments… I was a fully-realized Avatar, the Master of all Four Elements and the Master of the Avatar State. Now I'm useless. I'll never be an effective Avatar again."

"You are not useless." Katara said, placing her hand on his back. "Toph will teach you how to see with Earthbending more effectively."

"Earthbending vision is not enough for me!" Aang said. "Earthbending vision has its flaws. I can't see something if they were not connected to the Earth. What if an assassin approached me from the air? I would never see them coming… let alone be able to defend myself. And… I can't Airbend anymore."

"But… I just saw you Airbend…" Katara began.

"…And fail at it." Aang said. "Airbending is not connected to the Earth. The second I lose contact with the earth in a jump, I become completely blind. I can't see where the ground is anymore, and I can't land properly. I'm stuck to the earth for the rest of my life. I can't perform Airbending unless I want to hurt myself, and I definitely will not be able to go flying for the rest of my life. I should just die and let the next Avatar take over."

"Aang… please don't say things like that. Please." Katara begged, tears running down her face. "I can't bear the thought of losing you." Against his protests, Katara pulled him into an embrace. She went further by pulling him into a passionate kiss, pouring out all her feelings for him in a tidal wave of emotion in a single kiss. "I love you, Aang. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please don't give up on life so easily."

Aang burst into tears, and fell into Katara's embrace. "I'm sorry, Katara." He cried. "I won't give up on life. I'll stay with you. But it's more than just my Avatar duties… I'm afraid, Katara. I'm afraid of never being able to see again. I'm afraid because the last time I saw your face, we were yelling at each other. I'm afraid of forgetting what you look like."

Katara gently lifted his hand to her lips, and kissed his fingers, and then pressed his hand to her cheek. "All you have to do is ask, and I'll describe myself to you in however much detail you want." She said. "You never have to worry about forgetting about what I look like. I'll keep you up-to-date." Katara wrapped her arms around Aang and lifted him up off the ground. "Come with me." She said, starting to lead him away.

"Katara? Where are we going?"

"We're going flying."

"On Appa?"

"I'm going on Appa. You're going on your glider." Katara said.

Aang suddenly dug his heels into the ground, forcing Katara to stop. "No." He said; a look of fright on his face. "I can't. I can't see in the sky! I'll crash into something and really hurt myself!"

Without a word, Katara turned around and blew a small puff of air in Aang's face, causing the boy to flinch. "What did I just do?" She asked.

"You just blew some air in my face. Katara, what…?"

"The point is, Aang, that you are not just an Earthbender, so you aren't limited to Toph's Earthbending vision." Katara said. "Why can't you use Airbending to feel the currents of the air and judge where objects are in the sky? Why can't you use Waterbending to feel the push and pull of energy around you? Why can't you use Firebending to feel the heat in the air and know if you are being attacked by Firebending?" Katara pulled him into a hug. "You may have lost your eyesight, but you haven't lost your ability to Bend all the elements. With a little practice, I'm sure you'll learn how to use each and every element to see the world around you."

Aang didn't respond at first. Then he reached out and gently brushed his fingers across Katara's skin. "It will take years to master using the elements like that."

"I'll be right here to help you." Katara said, kissing him. "Now, let's go flying."

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**LES: Added a bit more Kataang to this chapter. Don't worry, the next four or five chapters will be completely new stuff!**


	3. Air

**LES: The next few chapters are completely all-new material! You may have noticed there was a distinct lack of Aang **_**learning**_** how to see with the other elements in the one-shot. That was because I cut that all out, going straight to the finale. So the next few chapters are about Aang learning how to see with the other elements: Air, Water, and Fire. This is also the development of Kataang from just getting together to… where they end up in the finale of the one-shot.**

**Chapter III: Air

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Aang didn't think he had ever been so nervous in his life… even the first time that Gyatso ever took him gliding. At least the first time he went gliding, he had the use of his eyes.

The terror he felt on his first flight didn't even come close to this! He stood at the very top of the Fire Nation palace's roof, his glider in hand, as Katara crawled up on Appa. He was about to jump off the edge, completely blind!

Aang panicked when he lost sight of her as she climbed up on Appa. He dropped his glider. "I don't think I can do this." He said, as he fell to his knees. "I _can't_ do this! It's impossible. There's never been a blind Airbending Master in the entire history of the Air Nomads. I could end up killing myself!"

Some of Aang's anxiety faded as Katara dropped down from Appa and he could sense her presence once again. Once he knew where she was, he got up and rushed over towards her, pulling her into an embrace, desperate for her comfort.

Katara firmly returned his embrace. She could understand that he was scared, but she also knew that this was something that he had to do. If he didn't try, then they would never know if he was capable of recovering, and even getting better. If he could learn how to read the air like Toph could read the earth, then Airbending would no longer be a problem for him.

"Aang, it's going to be okay." Katara said, kissing his forehead. "You can become a blind Airbending Master. Before Toph discovered Earthbending vision, no one thought that a blind person could Master Earthbending. But she did it, and you will too. You just need to try. We'll take it slowly, and I will be right with you on Appa to warn you if you start to go off course."

Katara could still feel him shaking with fear as she held onto him. "Oh—okay." Aang stuttered nervously. "You promise that you won't let me crash?" He asked nervously.

"I promise." Katara said. "Aang… I'll always be here for you… now and forever."

"My glider." Aang said, and Katara walked over and picked up the staff for him, placing it in his hands.

"You've got plenty of air to work with from up here." Katara said. "So take your time getting used to it, and just try to keep as straight and level as you can."

"Okay." Aang said. Even though he was practically scared out of his wits, the irony of the situation did not escape him. It seemed like just a few months ago, he was coaxing Katara into her first solo flight. Now the tables were turned, and Katara was the one giving him tips on how to fly.

Before Katara could move away from him, Aang grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to himself, and into a passionate kiss. After a moment of shock, Katara allowed herself to sink into his kiss, returning it with just as much passion. When they finally found the will to separate their lips, they smiled fondly at each other. "I love you, Katara." Aang whispered.

"I love you too, Aang." Katara replied. "But, now I think you're just stalling. So, come on, let's get going." She said, pulling away from Aang and climbing back up on Appa.

Aang pouted until he could no longer see her, and then snapped open the glider with practiced ease.

With his Earthbending vision, he saw Appa leave the ground and disappear into thin air. Aang froze in fright once again. There was no way that he'd be able to see in the air! His vision perceived the air as nothing more than a black mass of featureless space.

Just as he was about to change his mind about trying this, he heard Katara's voice call out to him from somewhere above and ahead of him. "Come on, Aang, you've got plenty of room for take-off."

Aang let out a deep sigh. "Okay, Aang, stop trying to see with Earthbending. It's not going to work. Feel the air."

He had spent so long these last few weeks learning to depend on the messages that he received from the earth through his feet that it was hard to willingly let go of that information. His world went dark, and he concentrated on the feel of the air around him, its shifts and currents.

Sensing air currents was a skill that even the smallest Air Nomad child had. It was the key to their Airbending. Understanding and feeling the natural flow of air was the first step in learning Airbending, and the second step was learning to master that flow and direct it to your will. But, right now, Aang only focused on what was naturally happening around him.

Once he was able to sense the movement of all the air around him, he took a breath and launched himself off the roof of the palace. There was a terrifying moment when he was completely blind and he almost sent the glider plummeting to the ground in a panic. But he quickly regained control of himself and leveled out, allowing himself to calm down as he easily glided on the air currents like a natural.

Suddenly, Aang felt a disturbance in the air off to his right, and he almost swerved away from it in a panic. But then he realized that it was the sort of disturbance that he was very familiar with. It was the feeling of the air being controlled by someone or something other than himself.

"Katara? Are you and Appa off to my right?" Aang asked out loud.

"Yes!" Katara answered. "Can you follow Appa?" She asked.

"I think so." Aang said, keeping all his Airbending senses tuned on the disturbance that marked Appa's location, and he slowly maneuvered into position behind the Sky Bison.

"Okay." Katara said. "We're going to go a little lower and closer to some buildings." She directed Appa into a shallow dive. "Try to feel the way that the air moves around objects."

Aang grew nervous as Katara led him lower to the ground and towards some of the taller buildings. However, once Aang got close to the buildings, he realized that Katara was right! The air and wind did behave differently when going around stuff then it did when it was just open air, like there was an unnatural curve in the wind that was created by no Bender. After following Appa as he dodged some more buildings and circled some, Aang began to realize that he could judge the approximate location of each building just by judging what direction the wind was coming from, and the position of the curve of the wind around that object.

He trusted that Katara would warn him if he did something too dangerous, so he quickly passed Appa, buzzing some of the buildings by himself. He got close to some of the buildings, but he never crashed. He always swerved away from the buildings just in time.

"Katara! Look! I'm actually doing it!" Aang shouted happily, and he buzzed some sort of watch tower one last time.

"Aang! Come back!" Katara called out to him.

Aang focused on the sound of her voice and the Appa-disturbance, which lead him back to Katara. Within moments he was flying abreast of her. "Katara! Did you see? I can fly!" Aang said happily.

"Yes, I saw." Katara said, sounding happy. For a moment, Aang could picture her smiling face in his mind. Like the smile she gave him when he first learned to Earthbend. "But, this is still new to you. Perhaps you should take it a little slower?" She called.

"I guess you're right." Aang admitted.

"Okay… we're going to land now. And we're going to do this nice and slowly." Katara said, leading Aang outside the city so that he had plenty of room to land. Once they were away from the buildings, Katara took Appa down slowly, and Aang followed her.

The ground was a lot harder to sense, since it didn't involve the air warping around it. Eventually, Aang was able to find where the ground was. It was the place where his control over the air ended, like a wall in his mind. He obviously couldn't control earth with air, so his sphere of influence was disrupted when he got close to the ground. Once he was close to the ground, he used his normal method of spinning his staff in a circle to gain just enough lift to allow him a soft landing. He easily touched down on the ground.

He was aware of the earth again, and he saw Appa land nearby, and then saw Katara land on the ground and rush up to him. She threw her arms around his neck as she pulled him into an embrace. "Oh, Aang! You see? I knew you could do it!"

"Katara, I can't believe it! I can see in the sky!" Aang said, returning her embrace. "I mean… it's not perfect, and it's not as clear as Earthbending vision, but I can see!"

Katara kissed his cheek, and then his nose, and then finally his lips. "You have as long as you need to master how to see perfectly with Airbending." Katara said. "The important thing is that you know it's possible, and that you can do it."

Aang kissed her. "Thank you, Katara, for believing in me." He said.

"I'll always believe in you, Aang." Katara said. "Always have. Always will." 


	4. Water

**LES: This takes place two years after Aang begins to learn Airbending Vision. By now, he has mastered both Earthbending vision and Airbending vision. Now… it is time to work on Waterbending vision! Oh… BTW, this chapter contains a (removed) Lemon. You can read the full lemon version by following the link in my profile that directs you to my Tumblr page. Underneath the link to my normal Tumblr is a link specifically to my smut. Click on that one and find this story/chapter.) Aang is a tad bit younger than I would like… 15 to be exact. But, he's Come of Age by Water Tribe standards, and he and Katara are engaged. Therefore, it's okay.**

**Chapter IV: Water**

* * *

"Hey, Aang!" Katara called, tossing a mango in the young Avatar's direction.

Without even turning to look at her, the young Avatar reached up and grabbed the mango out of thin air. He turned to face her with a big grin on his face as he took a bite out of the fruit. "Mango, huh?" He commented.

"You're getting much better at that." Katara commented. "A year ago, I would have given you a mango in the side of the head for sure."

Aang laughed. His ability to see with Airbending _had_ greatly improved. When he first began, he could sense where big things were in the sky, and a mango getting thrown at him probably would have gone unnoticed and hit him without him realizing that he was under attack by fruit. However, now he was much more in tune with the air around him, and was able to pick up the movement of even the smallest projectile through the air. He could Airbend and fly completely unaided now, which was a feat that the Four Nation's Council believed he would never achieve.

The Four Nation's Council had been Aang's greatest obstacle on the road to recovery. At the first official meeting, Aang had barely been on the road to recovery from his blinding at the hands of Firelord Ozai, and the only vision technique that he knew was Earthbending, and it showed. Rogue Dai Li had attacked the meeting, and Aang was the only one who couldn't react in time, having not seen the attack coming. It was only Katara's timely intervention that stopped him from being seriously hurt.

After that incident, the Council had become concerned with Aang's ability to be the Avatar. Of course, being the Avatar is a life-long job, and they couldn't just suggest that Aang kill himself so that another could take his place. But they had asked that Aang be reduced to little more than a figurehead, a symbol of peace and unity, while he appoint Bending Masters in each of the nations to carry forth his will in his stead.

Aang had grudgingly accepted this plan, but he stressed to the Council that it was only a temporary measure. Aang swore to them that he would overcome his blindness and become an effective Avatar once again. They officially put on hold giving Aang the title of a fully-realized Avatar, until he could become effective again.

Aang had been upset by that, because he had mastered all four elements and mastered the Avatar State, but the Council still considered him little more than an Avatar-in-training.

It didn't matter. The people considered Aang to be fully-realized and all ready considered him to be the youngest fully-realized Avatar in history.

So Aang grudgingly gave the Council a list of the men and women that he wanted to represent him in the nations while he learned how to be effective again. Little did most of the Council know that pretty much every name that Aang gave was a member of the secret society: the Order of the White Lotus.

Now Aang was fifteen and closer to that goal. He was also closer to Katara.

Aang grinned as he thought about the fact that the necklace that Katara now wore around her neck was his betrothal necklace, made with a lot of help from other people.

When Aang had turned fifteen and come of age by Water Tribe standards, he proposed to Katara, and she had tearfully accepted his proposal. They were going to be getting married within a few months time, and Aang could hardly contain his excitement.

"Katara, don't you think it's about time that I moved on to Waterbending?" Aang asked suddenly, finishing off the mango in a few tasty bites.

Katara shrugged. "I suppose we could." She said. She motioned for Aang to come closer and she began to lead him in a simple Bending-less drill that Aang had done a thousand times when he was learning Waterbending. He held his palms out in mimicry of how she held her hands, their palms just inches away from each other, and they moved their hands in a smooth circle, illustrating the push and pull of energy that was the foundation of Waterbending.

"As you remember, the foundation of Waterbending is the concept of Tui and La… Push and Pull. Every move in Waterbending is based on this fundamental concept. Either you are pushing your energy towards your opponent offensively, or you are pulling it from your opponent defensively. Waterbending is being aware of this flow, not just within your fighting, but within the whole world as well. The energy of Tui and La exists in everything, and can be found in many different forms." Katara took a moment to concentrate on the energy that flowed between her and Aang. Right now, the force that she got the most of from him was pull.

Ever since they had become engaged, the pull has been stronger. The pull urged them to get closer together, to become one, and to experience the push and pull of ultimate Waterbending together. They both felt the desire, but neither one acted on it.

"The goal of this training is for you to learn how to sense that push and pull energy where ever it exists. Once you are able to do this, you will be able to determine a person's intentions towards you by discovering if their energy is more push or pull. You'll be able to determine the nature of any attack launched against you. You'll even be able to sense when someone disturbs that energy flow, like when someone is creating lightning."

"That sounds useful." Aang commented. "That's a technique that could have come in handy in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se."

Katara faltered in her movements, and Aang realized a moment later that he had spoken without tact, an unfortunate bad habit that he was still trying to grow out of.

"Oh, Katara… I'm so sorry." Aang said regretfully. "I shouldn't be so stupid as to remind you about… what happened that day."

Katara took a deep breath. "No, Aang. It's fine. The thing that matters to me the most is that we survived the war, our friends survived the war, we're together now, and we're soon-to-be married. I love you, Aang." She held up her hands again. "So, why don't we continue your training?"

"Of course." Aang said, continuing the drill with her.

"Let's start small." Katara said. "Focus on our energy. Sense the connection between us. Which side of push and pull are we showing each other right now?"

Aang closed his useless eyes and focused harder on their movements, around and around, pushing and pulling at each other. Around and around, pushing and pulling, like the ocean tides at the sandy shore.

The energy became a pulse that consumed his entire being, until he was breathing in rhythm with it and, eventually, his heart began to beat in rhythm to it also.

Aang focused on the energy as it flowed between them, feeling the hypnotic push and pull of their energies.

"I can feel it." Aang said, almost in a trance.

"Push or pull? Which one is it?" Katara asked, allowing him all the time he needed.

Aang instantly felt which energy he was exerting towards her. Pull. He wanted her so badly in that moment that he literally felt like his body was calling out towards her, urging her to come closer.

Figuring out Katara's took a little longer. He submersed himself in the flow of Katara's energy, feeling the push and pull of her energy, trying to determine which was stronger.

Katara could feel that Aang's pull was much stronger, and she fought against the urge to leap into his arms and beg him to make love to her. In that way, her push was relatively strong. However, the pull that she exerted on Aang was several times stronger than self-conscious thought telling her to push him away. She wanted him closer. She wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted to feel him moving against and within her as they made love. The pull became much stronger as she was filled with desire and lust for her fiancé.

After several seconds, Aang smiled, and opened his cloudy gray eyes once again. "I'm pulling you. And you are pulling me." He said.

"And what does that mean?" Katara asked, definitely noticing as Aang leaned in closer to her.

"It means that we are definitely not being hostile right now towards each other. In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say that you _want_ to get closer to me right now." Aang said, brushing his lips against hers in the briefest of kisses.

"Mmm…" Katara moaned. "You're a fast learner." Without any further prompting, she took a step into accepting the pull that they had on each other, and she stepped fully into his embrace.

Aang wrapped his arms around her to hold her close, and pressed a firmer and more passionate kiss to her lips, coaxing her tongue out to play with his. She responded eagerly, tangling her tongue with his. Aang moaned in response to her passion. "I love you, Katara."

"I love you too." Katara whispered, pushing herself even closer to Aang's body. They were as close as they could possibly be while still having their clothes on, but the pull was yet to be abated.

"It's still not enough, is it?" Aang asked knowingly, gripping onto her hips and holding her firmly against him. "I want… more, Katara. I want you."

"I want you too." Katara replied breathlessly, arching her body against his.

"Then what is holding us back?" Aang asked.

"Nothing." Katara said, smiling as Aang began to pull her into his manor in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. Together, they made their way to his bedroom, their hearts completely sure with what they were about to do.

They stepped into the large and well furnished room together, and Katara's eyes fell on Aang's large bed.

Her heart was sure that she wanted this, but her conscious was nervous about it. When she first began dating Aang, she had been only fourteen years old. She had never really considered that she would eventually be in this position with a man. And, despite the vast love that she felt for Aang, she grew nervous at the sight of his bed.

Aang felt Katara's grip on him tighten. He didn't need to be able to see her to know that she was a little frightened. He could feel the vibrations of her body, both with his feet and where he touched her. He had no doubt of her love and arousal, but she was scared at the same time. He could sympathize.

"You're nervous." He said. It wasn't a question.

All the same, Katara responded. "I am nervous."

"Don't worry. I'm nervous too." Aang said. Without prompting, Katara placed her hand over Aang's heart. She could feel it beating wildly under her fingers. His fingers met hers and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I am scared, but not of sharing this with you. It's just that… this is my first time… being this way… with a woman…"

"Aang, I know that you are a virgin all ready." Katara laughed a little. "You were thirteen when we started dating. I would have been _very_ shocked if I learned that you had experience prior to that."

"Oh yeah… heh." Aang said, laughing nervously.

"This is my first time too." Katara said, carefully removing her dress. "I'm not going to let fear stop me from experiencing this with you."

* * *

(Lemon Removed. Follow link in profile if you want to read the full lemon.)

* * *

Katara gently caressed Aang's face and pulled the panting young man into a deep kiss, which he passionately returned despite his exhaustion.

Katara pulled away slightly. "I love you, Aang."

"I love you too, Katara. I'll love you for all time." Aang replied.

They cuddled for a few moments, both of them enjoying the peace and the silence that was the aftermath of their lovemaking, when suddenly Katara spoke. "I think it goes without saying that you've mastered the Push and Pull of energy, Aang."

They laughed together.


	5. Fire

**LES: This chapter contains a birth scene. The technique that I've chosen for the birth is Water Birth, which is when the mother submerges herself in water for the duration of labor and birth because the water eases her pain. Just a fair warning… while labor in water is a fairly common practice, giving birth underwater is far less common and is still not recommended. I studied Water birth for this chapter, and I know that those who do chose Water birth say that it is far less painful and stressful than normal birth. If you are interested in learning more about water birth, Google it. And remember, water birth isn't right for everyone, and if there are any pregnant women out there reading this thinking water birth will be good for them… please research all the different birthing techniques yourself before deciding on water birth.**

**Chapter V: Fire

* * *

**

To say that the Firelord was busy was an understatement.

In fact, Zuko had been quite busy for the last few months! He had received notification months ago that Aang was progressing well in his training to learn how to see with Waterbending, and it would soon be time for him to move onto Fire. Zuko, as Aang's Firebending Master and acknowledged as one of the most powerful Firebenders in the world, was expected to invent some method that would allow him to continue Firebending without the use of his sight.

As aware of Aang was of his surroundings, he was still incomplete. Nothing could approach him from the ground or the sky, and he could instantly tell people's intentions towards him thanks to Waterbending. But none of that would help Aang fight a Firebender. Firebenders were grounded, sure, but their attacks were not. Also, fire didn't affect the air around it like a normal projectile. His Airbending vision would be useless in seeing oncoming Fire.

At first, Zuko was stumped. He had no idea how Firebending would help anyone to see. But, then again, he couldn't have imagined that Waterbending would be much help to Aang, and yet… it soon became Aang's most powerful form of vision. Being able to see a person's very nature surpassed even Toph's lie-detection technique, because Aang could sense the lie even before the person could utter it. So Zuko figured that there had to be a way.

Zuko sought the wisdom of his Uncle and other Fire Nation members of the White Lotus, and together, they came up with a method. It was a method that Zuko was testing at that very moment.

The young Firelord was blindfolded, mimicking Aang's blindness to prove that this would be an effective vision technique. Zuko paid attention to the air, but not in the way that Aang did. Instead, Zuko concentrated on the heat in the air. When he began testing this technique, he quickly learned that Firebenders gave off more heat than non-Firebenders or people with the ability to bend another element. By sensing the sources of heat around him, Zuko was able to discover that he was surrounded on four sides by Firebenders.

One of the Firebenders attacked, and Zuko was able to feel the rise in heat that came with the attack. The temperature and the intensity of the heat let Zuko know the size of the Firebending attack, and he quickly counterattacked, dodging the Fire Strike and sending a blast of fire at the Firebender.

The next two were quickly dispatched, but the fourth managed to get the jump on Zuko. Zuko had lost, but thankfully, this was not an Agni Kai and no one would get burned or scarred.

"You did much better that time, Firelord Zuko." Iroh said from the side, holding a steaming cup of tea while Zuko removed the blindfold.

"But I lost again." Zuko said. "I think we should try again, Uncle. I don't think this is the right vision technique."

"I believe it is adequate." Iroh said. "Certainly, this would not be a good vision technique for a blind Firebender. With it, you can sense fire, and only the fire. Everything else is lost to you, and that is why you lose. However, we will be teaching this to the Avatar, who all ready can see quite well with the other elements. I believe that, alone, this Firebending technique will do little good, but when combined with the Avatar's other powers, it will make him completely untouchable."

"Untouchable?" Zuko laughed at the irony. "Right."

A moment later, Iroh realized the irony and also joined his nephew in a chuckle. "Of course I meant untouchable to his enemies. His wife, on the other hand… she seems to have her ways."

"Though I hardly doubt she needs to try." Zuko joked, enjoying the rare lighthearted moment. It seemed that everyone's life got a lot harder ever since Aang's blinding and him being asked to step down from his duties as the Avatar. Now they all had to step into Aang's shoes, which was a tall order for Zuko. Aang was an expert at negotiation and mediation, and Zuko often felt that he was just a hot-head who screwed those delicate processes up.

_Thank the Spirits Uncle is staying in the Fire Nation with me for the time being to help me keep a level head…_ Zuko thought as Iroh handed him a cup of Jasmine tea. _More with his advice than his tea, though._ Zuko amended, accepting the tea non-the-less.

"Should I go summon Aang for the beginning of his training?" Iroh asked, setting down his empty cup.

"Yes." Zuko said. "But… for Spirit's sake, be sure to knock on their door first."

"I doubt such precautions are necessary with his wife's current condition." Iroh said, standing up and leaving the throne room. Iroh made his way through the familiar hallways of the Fire Nation royal palace until he came upon the door that led to the Avatar's chambers.

He doubted that he really needed to follow Zuko's advice, but Iroh knocked on the door anyway. Aang's voice answered him immediately. "Yes, Iroh, what is it?"

Iroh was still in awe of Aang's perception despite the fact that he was blind. Aang could see things with his elemental vision that others with the use of their eyes could not. It helped that the Avatar had grown from a silly boy into an intelligent young man. He knew that Aang would mature into someone highly insightful and intelligent.

_Perhaps he will one day make a good White Lotus initiate._ Iroh thought to himself. But, for now, he pushed the thought aside. "May I come in?" He asked.

There was a pause on the other side of the door, a few whispered words that Iroh could not make out. "Sure, General Iroh, come in." Aang answered after a brief pause.

Iroh stepped into the room and smiled at what he found. The Avatar and his Lady were on the bed, but doing nothing risqué. Aang sat behind Katara, gently massaging the young woman's lower back as she moaned softly in pleasure. Aang was massaging her for a reason. Katara happened to be full term in her pregnancy with her first child, and the strain on her body was enormous.

"Good afternoon, you two." Iroh said kindly. "How are you feeling, Lady Katara?" He asked.

"Sore." Katara answered. "Also, my stomach hurts a little bit."

"It hurts?" Aang asked, momentarily pausing in his efforts on her back. "Doesn't that mean the baby is coming?"

"No, Aang." Katara said, pacifying her husband. "This is nothing more than false labor. I've helped deliver a lot of babies, and I've learned the difference between false labor and true labor."

"I hope you're doing okay." Iroh said with sympathy. When his wife was pregnant with Lu Ten, she had experienced painful false labor for a few days before he was actually born.

"I'm doing fine." Katara said. She was cut off when she let out a slight moan and Aang began to rub her back again until the pain stopped. "I almost wish that I could start true labor now…" Katara breathed. "At least then I'll know that this was almost over with."

The young Avatar kissed Katara's shoulder. "You're amazing, Katara." He whispered in awe.

"Aang, I would hate to take you away from your wife while she's in pain, but Zuko and I have learned a Firebending vision technique that should allow you to see. Would you be willing to go to him?"

Aang glanced at his wife without really seeing her. "Go, Aang." Katara said. "I'll be fine here. Remember, false labor is nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Aang asked. "What if it turns into true labor?"

"If you want, I can stay with the Lady and send a warning to you if she does progress into true labor." Iroh volunteered.

Aang stood up and bowed to Iroh. "Thank you, General Iroh." He said, leaning over and giving his wife a kiss. "Try to get some rest while I'm away." He whispered.

"I will." Katara whispered back, returning his kiss passionately.

Aang gently tucked Katara's hair behind her ear and then walked over to join Iroh. "Watch over her." Aang whispered to the Dragon of the West.

"You have my word, Avatar; nothing will befall her while I am here." Iroh promised.

"Send word to me if anything changes." Aang continued.

"I will." Iroh assured him.

Aang nodded, satisfied that his wife was in good hands, and stepped out of the room and headed towards the Throne room. Before he even stepped in, he knew that Zuko was getting impatient. But that was nothing knew… Aang knew his friend very well, and Zuko did have an impatient streak. He stepped into the cavernous Throne room, and walked up to Zuko.

"You're late." Zuko commented.

"My apologies, Sifu Hotman." Aang said with a snicker. He really only called Zuko that to make fun of him. He enjoyed the way that Zuko's heart began beating faster with annoyance every time. "Katara's been having false labor pains, and I wanted to make sure that she was all right before I left."

"You left her alone with false labor pains?" Zuko asked, a little shocked.

"No, Iroh's with her." Aang answered. "Can we please begin the lesson? I want to get back to her as soon as possible."

"Very well." Zuko said, moving a slight distance away from Aang. "You'll probably find that seeing with Firebending is a little less useful than seeing with Earth, Air, and Water; but combined with the other three elements, my uncle and I believe that you will gain complete awareness of the world around you and allow you to once again take up your places as the Avatar."

"I'm ready to begin learning, Sifu." Aang said, bowing.

"As you've probably found out, your vision as it exists right now gives you a severe disadvantage when you're fighting against a Firebender. You cannot see fire travelling through the air; therefore, you cannot see it. This is because fire has no substance to affect the air around it. However, there is one way that you can sense the fire… with its heat." Zuko moved slightly closer to Aang, until he knew that Aang would be able to feel his body heat if he tried. "Firebenders give off slightly more heat than the average person. Focus on the heat around you as your first teacher taught you, and find where I am using my body heat only."

Aang shut down his other senses until all he could perceive of the world was inky blackness. For a brief moment, he once again felt the terror of being completely blind, but that feeling faded away as he immersed himself in the heat around him.

It was always hot in the Fire Nation, so it took Aang a long time to separate the different heat sources from the general heat of the air. Once he did, however, he discovered that Zuko was right… when he concentrated enough, he could pinpoint sources of heat and their general direction. Some of the heat sources were nothing more than torches in the Fire Nation Throne room, but the biggest one was definitely Zuko.

Aang pointed at the heat source that he hoped was Zuko. "You are there…"

The Avatar was cut off when he suddenly felt the heat he was watching rise dramatically and come rushing at him. He panicked and instinctively raised a shield of earth to protect himself from the blast of heat. But that did not deter the heat… it bent around the shield and came rushing at him again from both sides. _It's fire!_ Aang realized. _Zuko is Firebending at me_! Aang used Airbending to leap out of the way of the fire just in time. The heat crashed together and died.

"That was very good." Zuko said. "Much better than my own first try. Uncle nearly burned me when I failed to see the fire in time."

"So you _were_ Firebending at me!" Aang said, feeling a little bit resentful.

"If it makes you feel better, I had no intention to hurt you. If you failed to see the fire in time, I would have stopped." Zuko said. "With time, you'll be able to judge even the form of the Firebending attack, the intensity, and the size. Let's try again… this time; I'll use a smaller attack, forcing you to pay better attention."

* * *

One hour later, Aang was doing very with his exercises and Zuko was pleased with Aang's progress. But, after a while, it seemed like Aang was getting distracted.

"Aang, you're spacing out." Zuko said. "What have I told you about being distracted while you're Firebending?"

"Oh… I'm sorry, Sifu." Aang said, jarring back to reality. "It's probably nothing… just a feeling I have."

Zuko knew enough about his friend to know that, more often than not, his _feelings_ were correct. "And what are you feeling?"

"Something's wrong." Aang said. "I don't know what… but something is wrong…" Suddenly, Aang froze and gasped. "Katara!" Without waiting for Zuko to respond, Aang turned and run for the door. He barely managed to stop in time before he crashed into a messenger that was coming through the door.

"Avatar! I was just coming to get you…"

"Is it my wife?" Aang asked desperately.

The messenger nodded. "It is. General Iroh sends the message… it's time."

Without waiting another second, Aang ran around the messenger and down the hall at full speed, using Airbending to enhance his movements. Zuko followed, but at a much slower pace.

A few second later, Aang charged into his room, and he found his wife reclined on the bed, panting and grunting, and Iroh next to her, offering words of comfort.

"Katara!" Aang gasped, rushing over to her side. He kissed her briefly and embraced her. "Katara, how are you feeling?"

Katara grunted. "This… isn't false labor anymore, Aang." She said. "My water broke just a few minutes ago. It means the baby is coming soon."

"Soon? How soon?" Aang asked.

"Not for many hours yet." Iroh said. "But it will happen within the day."

"Should I run and get someone?" Aang asked.

"No." Both Iroh and Katara answered at the same time, though Katara seemed more desperate.

"I've all ready sent for our best midwife." Iroh clarified. "Your job is now very simple… stay at your wife's side and bring her comfort."

"Oh… okay…" Aang said, scooting onto the bed with her and holding her against himself. Katara half-turned and buried her face in his chest, holding onto him tightly every time a contraction hit her. He ran his hand soothingly through her hair, whispering comforting words to her.

* * *

By the time the midwife arrived, Katara's contractions had gotten more painful and she was groaning loudly in pain, her hands tightening painfully on Aang's shoulders with every shooting pain in her lower abdomen.

The midwife quickly spoke to General Iroh. "Has her water broken yet?"

"Yes." Iroh answered.

"And the time between her contractions?"

"About 20 minutes."

"Very well, General. You may go." The midwife said dismissively.

"Um, Iroh… do you think you can go get Katara's family?" Aang asked. "At the very least, I'm sure they'll want to know what's going on."

"Very well. I will." Iroh said, stepping out of the door.

The midwife walked over to Katara. "How are you feeling, my Lady?"

"I've been better." Katara huffed.

"Are you in any unusual pain?"

"No." Katara replied. "Only my… AUGH!" Katara grunted, holding onto Aang tighter as pain shot through her lower abdomen.

The midwife made a small, sympathetic noise. "Yes, I know that you are in a lot of pain." She paused and continued when the contraction passed, leaving Katara panting. "My Lady, if you don't know… I'm a member of the White Lotus as well, and I've had plenty of contact with Healers from the Northern Water Tribe, and they've taught me a lot of things that may be helpful to you."

"What things?" Katara asked breathlessly.

"Apparently, when Northern Water Tribe women give birth, they prefer to use a technique called water birth… especially when the woman is a Waterbender."

"Water birth? I've never heard of it." Katara said.

"It's where the woman gives birth in a pool or a tub filled with water." The midwife said. "The water helps with relaxation, which can speed up the process of labor… and in the case of the new mother being a Waterbender, her own healing powers can infuse the water, helping her a great deal with the pain."

"But…" Aang began. "If the baby is born underwater, wouldn't it drown as it tries to take its first breath?"

"No." The midwife said. "The baby has been living in a liquid-filled environment for the past nine months, and is well-adapted to survive such an environment for a few moments. I happen to have a Northern Water Tribe Healer here, if you'd like to try it."

A second midwife entered the room, this one dressed in Water Tribe garments. She bowed upon entered the room. "Lord Avatar… my Lady."

"You're familiar with this water birth?" Aang asked.

"Oh, yes, my Lord." The Healer said. "And it is a very safe procedure, especially when the woman is a Waterbender. I've completed far more water births than normal births."

"And it is safe?" Aang asked desperately.

"Yes. I've never had an unsuccessful birth that was due to choosing a water birth. It will be a comfort to the mother and the baby to have the birth performed thus."

"Katara?" Aang asked, turning towards his wife, who was thankfully able to pay attention during the time between her contractions.

"I… I am a Waterbender…" Katara said. "And it will help with the pain?"

"Many of my patients who have given birth both ways say that water birth is the best way to go." The healer said.

"Very well." Katara said. "Thankfully, we have a tub that is more like a pool than anything."

The Healer looked into the bathroom at the tub. "It is perfect." She quickly lifted the sheets that covered Katara's lower body and checked her progress. "You're still pretty early in the process of labor. I'll go get the water prepared."

"Will you be comfortable doing this?" Aang asked. "I just want you to be comfortable, Katara."

"Birth is always an unknown." Katara said. "I'm all ready scared out of my mind right now, but we've got an experienced midwife here with us to help us through it. Remember, Aang…" Katara whispered, pulling him into a kiss. "I _want_ to bare your child. One way or another, I will make you a father before this day is over."

"All right." Aang said, hugging her. "Just promise to take care of yourself too. I want to continue being a husband when this day is over also."

"I promise." Katara whispered.

* * *

Minutes later, Katara's family showed up. At the time, it was immediate family only: meaning only Hakoda and Sokka were allowed into the room. The Northern Water Tribe healer told them that it was all part of the process of birth used in the Northern Tribe. Too many people in the birthing room added unnecessary stress on the mother. With fewer people, the atmosphere was more intimate and less stressful.

It showed on Katara's face as she rested in the water with only her undergarments on. Her eyebrows occasionally furrowed in pain, but she wasn't crying out nearly as loudly as she was, an occasional groan was the most of it.

Aang couldn't help but recall the birth he had witnessed at the Serpent's Pass all those years ago. He remembered the woman's screams of pain, her panting breath and the gut-wrenching groans. Now it was so much different. Maybe the warm water really was helping her.

"How are you feeling, Katara?"

"I think it is helping." Katara replied. "Before they put me in here… all I could think about was how I wanted to chop off your manhood so that you could never do this to me again…" Aang gulped. "It still hurts, but all I can think about now is our child. I want to hold my baby…"

"Me too."

Meanwhile, the Northern midwife was talking about water birth. "In a woman who is not a Waterbender, starting in the water this early has been known to slow down the process of labor; so for non-Waterbenders, we don't let them in the water until they at a certain stage of labor, the most painful one. However, it is different for Waterbenders. Your innate healing powers know what your body is trying to do, and will coax the water into helping your body along. For a Waterbender, it speeds up labor, and you'll have a lot more energy to devote to the actual birth."

"How quickly does it speed up labor?" Katara asked.

"I've seen labor as short as 2 or 3 hours for a first time mother." The midwife said, to the shock of the Fire Nation midwife still in the room. Katara was shocked too. The average labor time for a first time mother was about 8 hours. "It often depends on the woman's skill with Waterbending. Since the Lady is a Master Waterbender, I'd say this will be a short labor."

"That's good news." Aang said, and then embraces his wife as much as he could. "Our baby will be born soon."

"Yes… soon." Katara sighed, sinking into the water.

* * *

The actual birth was probably more disturbing for Aang then it was for Katara. Nearly three hours later, the midwife announced that Katara's body was fully prepared and that she could begin pushing.

As with her labor, Katara did not cry out in pain, but she still grunted with effort as she struggled to bring her child into the world.

Katara was in water, so it hindered Aang's 'vision' somewhat, but it was still a stone basin made of Earth, and he was able to 'see' what was going on, no matter how much he didn't want to see.

Once the baby's head started crowning, Aang couldn't wrap his mind around how… impossible this should have been! And… _Oh Spirits…_ His imagination conjured up an image of what it might have looked like and… it was impossible!

Of course, that was just the crown of the head. Once the head started to fully expose itself, Aang suddenly felt lightheaded and sick. _I will not pass out! I will not be sick! I will not pass out! I will not be sick!_ Aang repeated to himself over and over.

He closed his eyes, though it hardly mattered, as if that would somehow protect him from the sight… it didn't. But, thankfully, it didn't last long.

A few more pushes and grunts from Katara later, and the baby was free. The Northern Water Tribe healer worked quickly, catching the baby and bringing it instantly to the surface and into Katara's arms.

Aang almost did pass out right then. He couldn't 'see' but he could see Katara holding the tiny body close to her bosom, crying tears of relief and joy as she held her baby to herself.

The Northern Healer quickly Bent the fluid from the baby's mouth and nose, allowing it to take its first breath. Almost immediately, he began to whimper. It wasn't a full-on cry, like Aang had heard from other newborn babies.

"Why isn't the baby crying?" Aang asked, sounding slightly worried.

"The water." The Healer said. "It makes the transition from the womb to the outside world less traumatizing."

Katara glanced down at her baby. He had been a bluish color at first, as are all newborns before they take their first breath, but the blue color was fading quickly. She looked down further to see the sex of her child. "Aang… it's a boy." She whispered happily. "A boy."

"A son… I have a son!" Aang gasped, as if he were hardly able to believe it. He embraced Katara, heedless of the fact that he was getting his robes wet in the process. "Oh, Katara… I love you so much and I'm so proud of you!"

"We'll leave you alone for a moment." The midwives said, stepping out of the room to go tell the good news to the others waiting out in the hallway.

"How are you feeling, Katara?" Aang asked, concerned.

"Better now." Katara said with a sigh. "Most of the pain has stopped now that he has been born."

Katara fell silent as Aang gently touched his son, using the tips of his fingers to trace his features. Katara knew that he was trying to learn what his son looked like, since he had done the same thing to her numerous times.

"Katara? What does he look like?" Aang asked.

Katara, despite how tired she was, stared at him in shock. Ever since the day when Aang discovered he was blind, he had never asked that question out loud. It was almost as if he didn't want to remind himself of the things he had lost. "Aang…"

"Yes, I know that I'll never be able to see what my son looks like." Aang said. "But, unlike Toph and other people who were born blind, I remember what it's like to have eyesight. I can imagine things as you describe them to me. Please, tell me what my son looks like."

Katara smiled, looking down at the child she held to her breast. "His skin tone is still slightly red, because he is a newborn." She began. "But it seems like his skin tone is a mixture of ours… not as dark as mine, and not as pale as yours. He has your eyes… gray like the clouds before a storm. He has your chin and my nose." For several minutes, Katara described every inch of their son in great detail, and Aang listened without saying a word.

When she finally stopped, Aang leaned down and kissed her. "He's beautiful." He said. "He's perfect."

"What should we name him?" Katara asked.

Aang thought about it for a few moments. "Rohan." He said, simply.

* * *

**Rohan: Hindi name derived from Sanskrit meaning "one who travels the higher path"**

**LES: This chapter was hard to write… no, not because of the birth. But because of the fandom explosion that recently happened! If you haven't found out about "Avatar: The Legend of Korra", Google it! Seriously! If only for the reason that it stars a canon son of Aang and Katara! Tenzin is a Cloudbaby!**


	6. Epilogue

**LES: Three years later…**

**Chapter VI: Epilogue

* * *

**

This was a sight that no one had seen in over many years. Everyone watched with trepidation as a wide variety of warriors and Benders faced off against the lone Avatar… the blind Avatar.

Some of the most powerful Benders in the world were represented, except from the Air Nomads. Toph represented the Earthbenders, Firelord Zuko represented the Firebenders, and Katara represented the Waterbenders. But there were not just Benders there. Sokka faced off against Aang as well, using a blunted training sword. Suki and Ty Lee were also there, representing the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki was an awesome fighter, but Ty Lee was especially dangerous because of her chi-blocking technique. Rounding off the group was Mai. Her long-distance attacks were vital in this fight. After all, Aang was most vulnerable from airborne attacks.

For several moments, Aang didn't move at all. He was in a seemingly meditative trance. And then it began.

Toph attacked first, sending a heavy bolder right at the Avatar. But Aang sensed it coming and was able to redirect the rock safely aside. That was the cue for everyone to attack.

Chaos erupted for those who were watching. They were hardly able to keep track of everything, let alone feel like they could keep up with the fighting. But, to everyone's amazement, even when he was fighting half a dozen people at the same time, Aang was able to not only keep up with all their attacks, but he actually looked like he had the upper hand in this fight! No one could lay a hand on him. He seemed to be more sure of his movements and agile than ever before, even before he lost his eyesight to the former Firelord.

Aang's secret was the vision technique that had taken him seven years to perfect. The others called it Avatar Vision, because it used the information provided by all four elements to allow Aang to see his surroundings with a clarity that one could not achieve with a single element. Nothing escaped his notice: from the tiniest pebble sent his way by Toph, to the small airborne darts that Mai shot at him.

All their fighting skills were useless before the Avatar's great perceptive ability.

The great fight only lasted a few minutes, but Aang emerged completely victorious.

Aang centered himself and grinned at his opposition. They were pretty much all in the same state, lying on the ground and groaning. Even though Aang couldn't 'see' them, he could tell them apart by the nuances of their bodies.

"Oh… wipe that grin off your face!" Katara growled at him, pushing herself up off the ground.

"Remember, Katara, this was _your_ idea." Aang said.

"Yeah. And I'm starting to regret it." Katara said.

"I agree… getting beaten is one thing." Sokka said, still lying on the ground. "But this… this is just _humiliating_!"

"Why? Because you all got thoroughly beaten by a blind man?" Aang laughed.

"Yes, that would be it." Zuko agreed, brushing dirt off his clothes.

"Hey, don't worry guys." Aang said, shrugging. "I may be blind, but I'm also the Avatar. You can't compete with that."

"Ugh." Katara groaned. "Remind me again why I love you."

"Well, for starters…" Aang said, turning around as his biggest fan ran towards him across the field. "Here comes the first reason right now."

"Daddy!" A young three year old boy yelled, rushing towards the Avatar. The boy attached himself to Aang's leg in a firm embrace. "Daddy, you were awesome! You were all whoosh!" The young boy said, imitating Airbending. "You are the _best ever_!"

"Yes, I _am_, aren't I?" Aang said smugly. But he trailed off when she caught a look from his wife. "Err… but your Mommy's really good too. She lasted against Daddy longer than anyone."

Katara sighed. "Okay, you've convinced me." She walked over and picked up her son. "Though I have to say, Rohan does have a point. His Daddy is pretty awesome." Katara said, giving her husband a brief kiss.

For Aang's part, the boy was not aware that his father suffered any handicap. The scars and the vacant look in Aang's eyes had been there as long as the boy could remember, so he did not question it.

"So, now that we've proven that you're not any weaker because of your accident, are you ready to once again take your place as the Avatar?" Katara asked when she pulled away from her husband.

Aang smiled at her. "Yes. Yes, I am."

* * *

**LES: Well, that's the end of the Author's Cut! I hope you enjoyed it! (And maybe this sounds bad, but I hope you enjoyed it more than the one-shot version!)**


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